Processing a culled sow

During November we tried to find out if we could make good use of our sow. Having searched the internet we got good and bad info. We decided we would find out for ourselves. After she was slaughtered she went on the hook at 430 dressed. We collected her from the abertoir and couldn’t believe how good the carcass was. She had hardly any back fat from top to bottom. We let her hang for 4 days and butchered her for the next 3 days. It was a pleasure to do this. She had a fantastic carcass. The following is a list of what we recovered after completely boning out the carcass.

During November we tried to find out if we could make good use of our sow. Having searched the internet we got good and bad info. We decided we would find out for ourselves. After she was slaughtered she went on the hook at 430 dressed. We collected her from the abertoir and couldn’t believe how good the carcass was. She had hardly any back fat from top to bottom. We let her hang for 4 days and butchered her for the next 3 days. It was a pleasure to do this. She had a fantastic carcass. The following is a list of what we recovered after completely boning out the carcass.

We got all our joints, chops etc from another pig previous week and due to a lot of info found on internet about sow meat we didn’t need anymore joints chops or slices so turned her into the list above

When we process a large pig for home use only, we do it to maximise the value of the animal. If we had sold the sow we would have probably only got £100 however once we had processed her, based on supermarket prices, she achieved approx £1500.
That would have been for standard meat. What we achieved was specialist meat with no medicines and no additives. Therefore as a retired couple cost doesn’t come into our equation.
If we had asked a butcher to produce the same meat from our sow, the sausages and bacon alone would have cost £300 without the culling and cutting costs. We made many more products ie haslets, pigs fries, a few joints, gammon slices and joints, brawns, a huge Parma ham etc.
To process a large pig that weighs in at over 400lbs has to be a specialist butchering job. It took us 4 days.
A normal porker pig we would have done it in much less time.
Therefore it would be cost prohibitive unless you do it yourselves. Having good meat knowing where it comes from and don’t count in your own time.
Sorry this is rather long winded but there is no real answer to your question apart from very expensive.
It has to be because you want to produce something special and more importantly enjoy doing it.

When we process a large pig for home use only, we do it to maximise the value of the animal. If we had sold the sow we would have probably only got £100 however once we had processed her, based on supermarket prices, she achieved approx £1500.
That would have been for standard meat. What we achieved was specialist meat with no medicines and no additives. Therefore as a retired couple cost doesn’t come into our equation.
If we had asked a butcher to produce the same meat from our sow, the sausages and bacon alone would have cost £300 without the culling and cutting costs. We made many more products ie haslets, pigs fries, a few joints, gammon slices and joints, brawns, a huge Parma ham etc.
To process a large pig that weighs in at over 400lbs has to be a specialist butchering job. It took us 4 days.
A normal porker pig we would have done it in much less time.
Therefore it would be cost prohibitive unless you do it yourselves. Having good meat knowing where it comes from and don’t count in your own time.
Sorry this is rather long winded but there is no real answer to your question apart from very expensive.
It has to be because you want to produce something special and more importantly enjoy doing it.

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Thankyou.
I asked from the point of view of commercial viability rather than thinking you should cost it for yourself.
We put a young sow all into sausages and could have sold them (90kgs worth) twice over. My daughter just has a few pigs for "pocket money" but would be interested in scaling up just a little.
Direct marketing is quite a lot of work though and it's quite a step to go from supplying a few friends and family to making it commercially viable.

Thankyou.
I asked from the point of view of commercial viability rather than thinking you should cost it for yourself.
We put a young sow all into sausages and could have sold them (90kgs worth) twice over. My daughter just has a few pigs for "pocket money" but would be interested in scaling up just a little.
Direct marketing is quite a lot of work though and it's quite a step to go from supplying a few friends and family to making it commercially viable.

That reminds me of when we were old boys, we used to help mum and dad do the odd pig in a little slaughterhouse on the farm. This was in the 60/70 and father knew a retired slaughterman/butcher. I have spent a while with an old copper boiling water and taking the hair with old tools to scuff the hair of!! Super meat though, flitches hung on the hooks in the kitchen!
WB